And I'll be the bait. Before you protest, just listen to me for a moment. [ His voice is commanding, but not harsh; he carries an air of someone who knows exactly what needs to happen next and he won't accept anything different. He needs to sell her something that's...a bit of a lie, and so he adopts his usual method of unwavering confidence, even in the face of uncertainty. ]

I'm a Time Lord. Alien with two hearts, respiratory bypass system. If I'm injured badly, I can heal myself. [ This may or may not be a lie. This world they're in now has had strange and unpredictable impacts on his abilities so he can't be entirely sure he'd even be able to heal himself. ] If I die, I have a little trick up my sleeve called regeneration. [ This is most definitely a lie. While he knows he's granted a new regeneration cycle in his future, that hasn't happened yet. He can and likely would die, and anyone who knows him well would catch him in that, but for now, it's just him and Caitlyn. She doesn't need to know and she doesn't need to go risking herself any further. ]

My point - I'll be the shield and I will get you out of this, Caitlyn, I promise. I don't know what happens from here, but you're going to be safe. [ He didn't miss the way her hands shook, so he spares a moment to reach for hers now, briefly squeezing them. ]

Trust me. Please. This is what I do.

[ And he is not losing anyone else. ]

If you go back through the passageway and shut the door, I'll find it in the hallway, lead it in here.